Stanley Guenter

Stanley Guenter was first introduced to the Maya culture and ancient script at the age of ten. He has been studying the Mesoamerican cultures ever since. He obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary, his Master’s Degree at La Trobe University in Melbourne Australia, and his PhD in Archaeology from Southern Methodist University. He has worked on archaeological projects in eastern Tabasco, Mexico and is currently an epigrapher and archaeologist with two archaeological projects in Guatemala: The Regional Archaeological Investigations of Northern Petén, Guatemala (RAINPEG), directed by Dr. Richard D. Hansen, and the Southern Methodist University El Peru/Waka’ project, directed by Dr. David Freidel. Stanley is one of the outstanding rising stars of Mesoamerican writing systems and has taught and presented at many conferences in Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany and Denmark. He has done a full study of the inscriptions of Dos Pilas in relation to Tikal (you may see the readings on mesoweb.com).

“Stan is amazing! He was full of information and attentive, and was always so quick to share. He was very attentive and patient with questions. He had a great sense of humor too and a very pleasant, easy going personality. I hope you can entice him to lead future trips!” – David Westphal

“He’s a great tour leader – smart, articulate, and considerate. I would give him an A+++” – Elizabeth Wray

“Stan is fantastic! I am very impressed by the depth & breadth of his knowledge of the Maya.” – Ben Azman

“Stan really made the trip for us. He is flexible, accommodating, kind and considerate – AND (and this is a huge ‘and’) knowledgeable, excited, passionate, and caring about the Maya, their structures, their art, their history… His excitement and enthusiasm are contagious. Keep him!” – Pat Meany

“Stanley is an excellent leader. He managed by his presence and manner to make the group a cohesive unit while allowing for individual differences in ability and pace. We also respect his knowledge and willingness to share his opinions and back them up with facts and logical arguments.“ –Anne and Joe Frankel

“I enjoy Stanley’s information very much and especially his enthusiasm about all things archaeology. He is always ready to go deeper into the glyphs and the history.” – Ann Higgins

Tours Led by Stanley Guenter

Guatemala & El Salvador: Lost Cities of the Ancient Maya TourMarch 5 - 15, 2020 | Stanley Guenter
Journey with Far Horizons on an 11-day expedition through out-of-the-way areas of Guatemala and El Salvador, and discover some of the most influential cities of the ancient Maya, including Dos Pilas, Aguateca, Tazumal, and Joya de Cerén, buried under layers of ash from an eruption of a volcano and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Capital Cities of the Ancient Maya: Honduras, Guatemala & Mexico TourFebruary 1 - 14, 2020 | Stanley Guenter
Explore the capital cities of the ancient Maya and view four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Begin at magnificent Copán and Quiriguá. Walk through lush tropical forest at Tikal to view towering temples, and end up in Palenque, arguably the most beautiful of the ancient Mesoamerican cities.

Mexico’s Yucatan Tour – Off the Beaten PathFebruary 16 - 26, 2020 | Stanley Guenter
Travel deep into the remote southern area of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula where recent excavations have exposed remains of pyramids and cities that, until recently, were nearly impossible to reach. Hieroglyphic texts found here are changing our knowledge of the Maya by revealing history that has been silent for more than one thousand years!

Tour Central Mexico’s Toltec HeritageMay 25 - June 4, 2020 | Stanley Guenter
The Toltecs are the most mysterious and controversial group from ancient Mesoamerica and the interpretation of their importance to the greater cultural traditions of this region have ranged from seeing them as the “mother culture”, from which all others sprang, to a group that didn’t even exist historically, and were nothing but a figment of the Aztec imagination.

Guatemala Tour: The Enduring Maya CALL | Stanley Guenter
Travel on this 13-day trip to the Highlands of Guatemala. Visit ceremonial centers, meet people from the country's varied ethnic groups, and learn about religious rituals based on ceremonies with roots in the world of their ancient forebears. And attend the Day of the Dead festivities held in Santiago Sacatepéquez where huge, beautiful kites are flown.

The Archaeology of Belize TourJanuary 5 - 13, 2019 | Stanley Guenter
Join Far Horizons on this 9-day trip to explore lost Maya ceremonial centers, meet people from the country's varied ethnic groups, while seeing spectacular wildlife that other countries around the world label 'endangered'. Travel from the Maya city of Lamanai in the north to the remote ceremonial centers of Lubaantun, and Nimli Punit in the south.

Christmas in Oaxaca Tour December 20 - 28, 2018| Stanley Guenter
Join Far Horizons for a special nine-day Christmas trip to Oaxaca that highlights the colorful celebrations of the season, the fascinating archaeology, and the unique folk art of the neighboring villages.